Kerf-cutting machine



July?, 1942. F. A. UNDGREN 2,288,724

KERF-CUTTING MACHINE Fileduan. '2, 1941 s sheets-sheet 1 N@ E 2 lmww Le July 7 1942 F. A. LINDGREN 2,288,724.

v`MRF-CUTTING MACHINE I Filed Jan. 2, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 3111377 1942 F. A. LINDGREN 1 2,288,724

, xERF-CUTTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 2, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented July 7, 1942 UNITED STATES Priil'IE-NTv GFFICE Kean-CUTTING MACHINE Frank A. Lindgren, Western Springs, Ill., assignor to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Il1.,'a corporation of Illinois Application January 2, 1941, Serial No. 372,845

`(p1. mi2-30) 5Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in kerf-cutting machines of `the room and pillar type in which the cuttings are discharged from the -rear end of the machine, and has for Vits principal object to provide a novel arrangement of parts so vas to assist in clearing the cuttings from the machine and otherwise improve the design and operation ofthe machine.

As heretofore constructed, the conventional form of kerf-cutting machines of the character above referred to has a cutter bar arranged parallel with the longitudinal axis of themachine body, with a Vbase plate extending beneath said bar throughout itslength forming acuttings channel vopening to the rear end 'of the machine. The cuttings brought rearwardly by the cutter chain from the kerf tend to accumulate in and about the rear end of the machine in such large quantities that they usually have to be removed by hand shoveling. some cuttings tend to .be carried around the rear end of the cutter chain and returned to the kerf through the retreating side of the cuttings channel. Y

In carrying out my invention, `I arrange 4the cutter bar at an angle tothe longitudinal axis of the machine body, with its front end inclined toward the` normal direction of cutting of the machine, and with the base plate of the machine cut laterally away from below Athe rear end of the cutter bar at the rearcorner of the machine, so that thecuttings will be deposited directly on the mine floor both at the rear and along the retreating side of the machine. In this manner, the cuttings are spread over a relatively lWide area as they are discharged from the machine, instead of being accumulated -in a pile at the rear or side discharge openings of the machine. As a result, the need for hand shoveling is greatly reduced and in many instances entirely eliminated, and excess cuttings are not returned to the kerf along the retreating side -of the cutter bar.

The invention may best be understood by referenceA to the accompanying drawings, in which l Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine, with a portion of the cutter bar omitted, and with parts of the gear casing'broken away to show details of the mechanism therein;

Figure 2 is a side view of the machine, drawn to a slightly larger scale than Figure l, With the cutter chain drive mechanism shown in longitudinal section; i

:Figure 3 `isa Vrear View of -the machine, with Moreover, f

parts of the gear casing broken away to show details of the feed mechanism;

Figure 4 is a bottom View of the machine, drawn to a smaller scale than the preceding figures,` With a front portion of the bottom or base plate broken away;

Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the manner of use of the machine in a mine.

Referring to the details of the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, the machine body indicated generally at I0 has a base plate II, a cutter bar I2 extending forwardly of the machine with a cutter chain I3 movable thereabout as usual, a motor I4 mounted over the cutter bar at the front end of the machine, and a gear casing I5 at the rear of the motor and housing the feeding and the cutter chain drive mechanism.

The machine body is generally rectangular in shape, as usual, but the cutter bar I 2 is arranged at a slight angle to said body, with its rear end v disposed in the extreme rear corner at the retreating side of the machine body, and with its forward end projecting adjacent the center of `the front and of the body, as shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5. With the arrangement shown herein, the machine is designed to cut from right to left, as is customary with machines of this character, so that the rear end .of the cutter bar is in the rear right corner. If the machine is to cut in the opposite direction, the cutter bar will of course be disposed on the opposite, or left, side of the machine body, and in the reverse angular 'relation to that shown in the drawings. As shown in Figure 5, the extreme'outer end of the cutter bar I2 preferably does not extend laterally substantially beyond the plane including the outermost limits of the advancing side of the machine body, so that the cutter bar will not interfere with usual movementof the machine while the latter isbeing dragged over the mine floor, or being loaded upon its truck or being transported about the mine fon the latter.

The cutter bar I2 is supported, as usual, intermediate its ends between the base plate II and motor I4, as by opposed supporting brackets I'I, I'I, but the base plate II is cut away at the rear right corner of the machine body, so that ,y the cutter chain I3, as it passes around its drive taining lateral balance of the machine as a whole on said base plate. The motor I4 may be partially supported on said right front corner of the base plate by a short upright front wall section I9. The cutter bar projects from an opening 29 formed between the front wall section I9 and the front wall section 2| at the left side of the machine. An upright wall or partition 22 along the left or advance side of the cutter bar provides a cuttings discharge passage 23 disposed at the same angle as said cutter bar and opening to the rear right corner of the machine body, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The arrangement of the cutter bar as described provides room at the rear advance portion of the machine body for a casing section Ia enclosing the feed gearing, and at the front advance portion for a casing section I5b for enclosing a motor rheostat, controller, or other electrical equipment.

It will be especially noted that the casing sections I5a and I5b extend the full height of the machine, so as to accommodate the required feed gear reduction mechanism, thereby giving substantially more vertical space than is usually afforded in ordinary room and pillar machine designs, wherein most of the gear reduction mechanism must be crowded in the space above the cuttings discharge passage. As a result of the advantageous arrangement of gearing space herein disclosed, it is possi-ble to reduce the overall height of the machine to a minimum, which is determined only by the height of the motor and the cuttings discharge passage 23, and also to shorten the machine lengthwise so that it can be readily maneuvered for cutting in narrow spaces, as for instance, between mine props and Ythe working face.

In the form of feed gear reduction mechanism shown herein, the armature pinion 24 is meshed with gear 25 on longitudinal shaft 26, having suitable bearing in the casing section I5a above and toward the advance side of the cuttings discharge passage, as shown in Figure 3. A worm 21 is fixed on shaft 26, and is meshed with a rel-atively large worm gear 2B keyed on a transverse shaft 29. The latter shaft has suitable bearing in the casing section I5a at one side of the cuttings channel 23, and has a sun gear 3l) at its outer end forming part of a two speed planetary gear device indicated generally at 3 I.

The form of planetary gear 3I shown herein is of the same type commonly used in kerfcutting machines, so it need not be described in detail, excepting to point out that the planetary gears 32, 33 of different pitch diameters and rotatable together in a cage member 34, are meshed respectively with internal gear members 35 and 36, respectively. The internal gear member 36 has a hub 3'I keyed on driven shaft 38. The periphery of cage member 34 encloses the gear member 36, and has a friction band 39 thereabout. A similar friction 'band 49 surrounds the internal gear member 35. The arrangement is such that by loosening band 39 `and tightening band 49 so as to restrain cage 34 from rotation, the shaft 38 will be driven at low speed. By loosening band 49 and tightening band 39, the latter member 36 will be restrained from rotation with the result that shaft 38 will be driven yat high speed.

The driven shaft 38 has bearing in the side wall 42 of the casing section I5a and has a spur gear 43 keyed on its outer end, meshed with an internal gear member 44 having a hub 45 rotatable on a stub shaft 46. A winding drum 41 has hub 48 rotatably mounted on the hub 45, and is provided with a pin clutch member 48a of the usual form adapted to be engaged at will in one of a plurality of cooperating holes 49 in the face of the internal gear member 44. A cable 59 is carried by the drum 4'I and is adapted to be trained as usual about a sheave 5I at the front leading corner of the machine body, for feeding the machine laterally along the working face, or to be trained rearwardly about a sheave 52 or about said last named sheave and a sheave 53 disposed centrally of the machine and at the rear end thereof, for maneuvering the machine in various directions over the mine iioor or loading the machine upon its transporting truck in the usual manner.

The worm shaft 26 is extended and has a coupling pocket 69 at its rear end adapted to be engaged as usual by a coupling member of a mine truck (not shown), for propelling the latter when the machine is mounted thereon.

The machine is also provided as usual with a suitable retarding device, herein consisting of a friction-controlled cable drum 55 of the usual form, rotatably mounted on a shaft 56 extending longitudinally from the rear end of the machine casing I5 adjacent the retreating side of the machine, so its cable 5I can be trained directly to a suitable anchor, if desired.

The drive connections from the motor I4 to the cutter chain sprocket I8 includes a gear 6I on a stub shaft 62 meshed with the armature pinion 24. In the arrangement shown, the stub shaft 62 is offset toward the right side of the machine, so as to be disposed on an axis intersecting the axis of the cutter chain sprocket. A bevel pinion 63 is fixed on shaft 62 and is meshed with a large bevel gear 64 having a iianged hub 65 supported by suitable bearings 66 and 61 on the upright sprocket shaft 68. The latter shaft in turn has suitable bearings 69 and I9 in the gear case I5. A clutch 1I is provided for connecting the hub 65 with sprocket shaft 68, as herein shown, said clutch consisting of a sliding sleeve 'I2 mounted on said hub and having depending clutch jaws I3 passing downwardly through the flangedv portion of said hub so as to engage in cooperating clutch teeth formed in the periphery of a collar 'I4 fixed on the sprocket shaft. The clutch sleeve 'I2 may be shifted as usual by means of a shifter collar 15, engaged by a shifter yoke 'I6 on rocking shaft 'I'I extending through the side of the housing I5 and operated by control handle 18.

Several advantages of the arrangement of parts above described will now be manifest. The arrangement of the cutter bar with its discharge end entirely open to the bottom, rear, and along the retreating side of the machine body greatly facilitates the rapid discharge of cuttings from the machine, so as to reduce and in many cases, entirely eliminate, the nece'ssity of shoveling the cuttings away from the machine. The offset arrangement of the cutter bar and cuttings discharge passage also provided more ample and convenient space for the gear reduction mechanism, thereby permitting the machine body to be made of minimum height and width, as hereinbefore explained. The angular arrangement of the cutter bar as it projects at the front of the machine has the further advantage of facilitating the sumping, cross cutting, and withdrawal of the machine, as illustrated in Figure 5. The machine can readily be sumped substantially the full length of its cutter bar, without'interferencc of the machine body with either the working face F or the side wall or rib R, as shown in the dotted line position of the machine. While cutting across the face F, as shown in the full line position, the slight angular inclination of the cutter bar in the direction of cutting, combined with the fact that the cutter chain is moving toward the machine on the advancing side of the cutter bar, has a distinct tendency to stabilize the machine and reduce the amount of retardation necessary to maintain it at the proper cutting angle relative to the face Finally, it will be understood that the machine can be Withdrawn at the end of the cross cut by moving it almost parallel with the rib, instead of at a substantial angle thereto, as is usually necessary with present room and pillar machines.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, it will be understood that the construction thereof and the arrangement of the various parts may be altered Without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting my invention to the specific embodiment illustrated, excepting as it may be limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a kerf-cutting machine, a frame supported on a base plate for universal movement -over a mine floor, a cutter bar projecting from the front end of said frame at a xed obtuse angle to the longitudinal axis thereof, a cutter chain orbitally movable about said cutter bar, the rear portion of said cutter chain projecting beyond said base plate to the rear and one side of the latter, and flexible feeding means for advancing said machine laterally along a coal face so that the cuttings brought back longitudinally through the frame will be discharged freely at the rear and along the retreating side of the latter.

2. In a kerf-cutting machine, a frame supported on a base plate for universal movement over a mine floor, a motor on said frame, a cutter bar projecting from the front end of said frame at a fixed obtuse angle to the longitudinal axis thereof and extending beneath said motor, a cutter chain movable orbitally about said cutter bar and driven by said motor, the rear portion of said cutter chain extending beyond said base plate to the rear and one side thereof, and flexible feeding means for advancing said machine laterally along a coal face so that the cuttings brought back by said cutter chain will be discharged freely at the rear and along the retreating side of the latter.

3. In a kerf-cutting machine, a frame slidable on its own bottom on the mine floor, a chain carrying cutter bar extending in an angular direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of said frame, from a position adjacent the rear retreating portion of said frame, and projecting from adjacent the center of the front end of said frame at an obtuse angle to the longitudinal axis of said frame, and flexible feeding means for advancing said machine-laterally along a coal face including gear reduction mechanism mounted on the rear end of said frame with a portion thereof disposed at one side of said cutter bar and in the same horizontal planes as the latter.

4. In a kerf-cutting machine, a generally rectangular frame slidable on its oWn bottom on the mine floor, a chain carrying cutter bar projecting from the front end of said frame at a xed obtuse angle to the longitudinal axis of said frame, With its rear end disposed in one rear corner of said frame and open to the rear and adjacent side of said frame, and with its front end disposed substantially in a line extended along the opposite side of said frame, and flexible feeding means for advancing said frame laterally along a coal face to cut a kerf, With said cutter bar inclined in the direction of cutting.

5. In a kerf-cutting machine, a frame slidable on its own bottom on the mine oor, a chain carrying cutter bar projecting from adjacent the center of the front end of said frame andy at an obtuse angle to the longitudinal axis of said frame, a motor on said frame over said cutter bar, and flexible feeding means driven by said motor for advancing said machine laterally along a coal face including gear reduction mechanism mounted at the rear end of said motor with a portion thereof disposed on the advance side of said cutter bar and in the same horizontal plane as the latter.

FRANK A. LINDGREN. 

